Israeli court extends detention of Palestinian member of Israeli parliament

Dec. 24, 2016 9:24 P.M. (Updated: Dec. 25, 2016 2:20 P.M.)

BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- An Israeli court Friday ordered the extension of Palestinian Member of the Knesset (Israel's parliament) Basal Ghattas’ detention until Tuesday for further interrogations, after the Joint List-affiliated politician was arrested on Thursday following the stripping of his parliamentary immunity.

According to Israeli media, Ghattas, a member of Joint List which represents parties led by Palestinian citizens of Israel in the Knesset, was arrested on suspicions of smuggling cellphones to “Palestinian terrorists” serving time in Israeli prisons, and is being charged with “conspiring to commit a crime, fraud, breach of trust, and violations of Israel Prisons Service orders.”

A statement released by Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri on Thursday confirmed that the MK was arrested over allegations of smuggling phones and SIM cards for Palestinian prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan said that Israeli police would continue interrogations with Ghattas for what he described as "extremely dangerous acts", adding that anyone who has violated the law and smuggled phones to "killers held behind bars" must be aware that these actions can lead to "terrorist attacks".

According to Israeli media outlet Ynet, a statement released on behalf of Ghattas at the time of his arrest stated that “"This is a vengeful and arbitrary arrest, because the police, (Prime Minister) Netanyahu and (Public Security) Minister Erdan want a photo of an Arab MK in handcuffs.”

“The arrest is a political move and is not necessary to the investigation. Fairness obligates to treat an Arab public representative just like a Jewish one, and that is not the situation here,” the statement added.

Ghattas was stripped of his parliamentary immunity on Wednesday, with the Israeli Attorney General stating that Ghattas had “passed envelopes to security prisoners,” leading Israeli prison authorities to confiscate the envelopes which allegedly contained “12 cell phones, 16 SIM cards, two cell phone batteries, and headphones,” according to Ynet.

Meanwhile, there are 7,000 Palestinians currently being held as political prisoners in Israeli custody, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer. Any correspondence with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel can be considered an act against the security of the state of Israel, making it dangerous for both Palestinian citizens of Israel and those holding Jerusalem permits to engage with Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

Critics have said the arrest represents the latest event in a concerted crackdown on Joint List MKs in an attempt to squelch opposition to the Israeli government’s right-wing policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, commonly resting on allegations of “incitement” or supporting “terrorism” in the face of left-wing opposition.

In June, the Knesset passed an anti-terrorism bill that the Joint List called "draconian and unacceptable" as it gives the Israeli government far-reaching power in cases of suspected "terrorism." The new Israeli law includes a provision expanding the definition of terrorist organization membership to include “passive members” who are not actively involved in any group, but can now be indicted by Israeli authorities.

The bill also includes a provision that gives the defense minister -- currently ultraright Avigdor Lieberman -- the power to confiscate property of alleged members of terrorist organizations without getting approval by Israeli courts.

Furthermore, in July, the Knesset passed into law a bill that would allow MKs to vote to oust their colleagues from office, legislation that has been slammed by critics as targeting Palestinian MKs and harmful to “the very building blocks of democracy.”

The bill was first introduced after Palestinian MKs paid visits to the families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces after they carried out attacks, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying in March the law would be used to suspend MKs who "stand behind terror."

The legislation regained traction after Balad MK Haneen Zoabi enraged lawmakers by calling Israeli soldiers who participated in the 2010 deadly raid of the Turkish aid flotilla to the Gaza Strip “murderers,” as she was forcibly removed from the plenum for her comments.

In response to the incident, Coalition Chairman David Bitan of the Likud party, with the support of Netanyahu, unsuccessfully tried to shelve the suspension bill in exchange for a law designed simply to oust Zoabi.

The Knesset also passed the “NGO bill” into law in July, as human rights groups and opposition Knesset members condemned the legislation for seeking to “silence criticism” of Israel and delegitimize left-wing groups.

The actions against the Joint List, which was formed last year when four Palestinian parties joined to fight for the rights of Israel's Palestinian minority, and other left-wing organizations in Israel have laid bare a deep rift in Israeli society as the extreme right-wing has gained traction on the Israeli political and social scene.